Relationships between police and the community in west Belfast have deteriorated and distrust grown, a report said. Frustration with the “slow” pace of the criminal justice system produced low levels of reporting of crime and cooperation, researchers said. “Relationships between the community and the PSNI are seen as deteriorating in recent years.”Neighbourhood police in West Belfast are responding to reports of ASB in the area of Laurelbank. #KeepingPeopleSafe pic.twitter.com/0ZZnhcjjHA— PSNI West Belfast (@PSNIBelfastW) November 24, 2018One of the reasons for the cooling of relations is the perceived sporadic nature of police involvement in communities, the review added. Woodbourne police station, which handles west Belfast, has seen a slight decline in total crime levels since 2016/17, PSNI figures showed.

Source: Irish Examiner December 30, 2018 11:03 UTC